Mud-guard for cycles



(No Model.)

J. GARDNER & D. MARSHALL. MUD GUARD FOR CYCLES.

Patented Sept; 1-9, 1893-.

UNITED STATES PATENT EF ICE.

JOHN GARDNER AND D ALE MARSHALL, OF OHELTENHAM, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TOTHE OVERMAN WHEEL COMPANY, OF OHIOOPEE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS.

MUD-GUARD FOR' CYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,290, datedSeptember 19, 1893. Application filed February 20,1893. Serial No.&63,010. (No model.) Patented in England October 29, 1891, No. 18,651.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN GARDNER and DALE MARSHALL, subjects of theQueen of Great Britain, residing at Cheltenham, in the county ofGloucester, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement inMud-Guards for Cycles, (for which we have obtained a patent in GreatBritain, No. 18,651, bearing date the 29th of October, 1891,) of whichthe following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in mud guards for cycles and itconsists in making the guard of a strip of flexible material attached atone end to the frame of the machine, and stretched and supported at theother end, and at one end or more intermediate points, by spring stays,the object being to enable the guard to be readily removed from themachine and packed in a small compass when not required for use. Weattain this end in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which-- Figure 1 is a broken View in side elevation of the steeringwheel of a cycle showing the application of our improved guard. Fig. 2is a broken View of the flexible guard. Fig. 3 is a broken View in sideelevation of the spring stays, and Fig. 4. is a view in plan of one ofthe brackets adapted to support the said spring stays.

Similar parts are marked with like letters of reference throughout theseveral views.

The guard A consists of a strip of anysuitable flexible waterproofmaterial of a width suitable to the diameter of the tire of the wheel.This guard is attached at one end to the frame of the cycle by hooks orstraps a, or by any other convenient device. Onto the other end of theguard A, and also at a point about midway in its length, are riveted orotherwise fixed metallic strips B having small holes 6, b, at or neartheir ends to receive the ends of the spring supporting stays. Thespring supporting stays O, O, of which two on each side of the wheel areusually found sufficient, are formed of spring steel wire. Each pair ofstays O, O, on each side of the wheel is preferably formed out of onelength of wire bent at or about the center of its length to engaged withthe holes 5,1), 850., in the strips B, B, on the guard A. Each pair ofarms O, O, is attached to the frame X of the machine by means of aplateD adapted to be passed onto the axle of the wheel and to be lockedto the frame X by means of the nut adapted to lock the axle thereto.These plates D, D, each carry a finger d and a stud or projection d withwhich the length of wire forming the arms 0, C, engages as shown by Fig.3 of the accompanying drawings so that While each pair of stays can bereadily detached therefrom, they are prevented from turning with respectto the said plates in an upward direction, thus allowing them to be bentor sprung in an upward direction to engage with the guard and so act tostretch it and keep it taut.

When the guard is applied to the rear wheel of a cycle one end of it isattached to the pedal-crank axle bracket, from whence it is carried tothat part of the frame carrying the seat pillarto which it is attachedbystraps orhooks, and from this point it is stretched and. supported byspring stays as hereinbefore described.

When the guard and stays are removed from the machine the guard canreadily be rolled up into a small compass and carried in the pocketorwallet, and the spring stays can be carried inside the hollow handlebar, or in any part of the tubular frame work prepared to receive them.

We are aware that prior to the date of our invention mud-guards forcycles have been made of flexible material supported by stays andadapted to be detached from the stays and be either rolled up or removedfrom the machine, and we do not therefore claim such a combinationbroadly, but

What we do claim as our invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. The combination in a mud-guard for cycle wheels, of a strip offlexible waterproof fabric adapted to be fixed to the frame of the cycleat one end, with spring stays detachably fixed to the fork or framecarrying the wheel and adapted to stretch and support the strip offlexible waterproof fabric over the wheel, as set forth.

2. The combination in a mud-guard for cy- 5 ole Wheels, of the strip offlexible waterproof fabric A having one or more metallic strips B, B,fixed to it; of the spring stays C, C,detachably connected to plates Dfixed to the fork or frame of the machine and having their free ends 0,0, adapted to engage with holes I), b, in the strips B, B; the plates DD being constructed and adapted to have the stays O G applied to andremoved from them at pleasure all substantially as set forth.

3. The spring stays O, 0, each pair being formed out of one length ofspring wire, in

combination with a strip of flexible water-.

sisting of an unrolled strip of flexible material, aud attaching devicesapplied to its respective ends, and one of them being yielding to placethe said strip under tension, and both of them being adapted forapplication to or removal from the vehicle at pleasure, substantially asdescribed.

6. A suspension mud-guard for cycles, consisting of an unrolled strip offlexible material, aud attaching devices applied to its respective ends,and one of them being made of spring wire and constructed to embrace aWheel of the vehicle, and to place the strip under tension, and both ofthem being adapted for application to and removal from the vehicle atpleasure, substantially as described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JOHN GARDNER. DALE MARSHALL. Witnesses:

OLIVER J. WILLIAMS, Registrar Cheltenham County Court.

FRANK S. GALE, Solicitor, OheZtenham, England.

